i had only momentum came when he chose paul ryan and seemed ready to go on the big stuff, a restructured welfare state. yet he has since retreated to the small and safe. when you're behind, safe is fatal. even his counterpunching has gone miniature. >> this reminds me a little of the mccain campaign in 2008. in the days at the end where you felt like the campaign was kind of grasping at every new ornament that it found on the tree. it's being distragted. one week it seems to be libya. the next week it seems to be medicare. the next day it's whether the president has said something about bump in the road. and i think for voters, it's very confusing to have these very short-term responses. in the romney campaign. now of course every campaign has to have a rapid response. but usually that should augment what is the overall strategy. it shouldn't become the strategy. >> they're trying to win each news cycle rather than win the election. >> they've been chasing news cycles. when he was in virginia. he talked about the defense cuts, they're so, that's what direct mail is for. that's not for yo